Exclusive: Survivors clinging to capsized boat didn't radio for backup, admiral overseeing double-tap strike tells lawma

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: CNN

The two men killed as they floated holding onto their capsized boat in a secondary strike against a suspected drug vessel in early September did not appear to have radio or other communications devices, the top military official overseeing the strike told lawmakers on Thursday, according to three sources with direct knowledge of his congressional briefings.

As far back as September, defense officials have been quietly pushing back on criticism that killing the two survivors amounted to a war crime by arguing, in part, that they were legitimate targets because they appeared to be radioing for help or backup — reinforcements that, if they had received it, could have theoretically allowed them to continue to traffic the drugs aboard their sinking ship.
...
The initial hit on the vessel, believed to be carrying cocaine, killed nine people immediately and split the boat in half, capsizing it and sending a massive smoke plume into the sky, the sources who viewed the video as part of the briefings said. Part of the surveillance video was a zoomed-in, higher-definition view of the two survivors clinging to a still-floating, capsized portion, they said.
...
Ultimately, Bradley told lawmakers, he ordered a second strike to destroy the remains of the vessel, killing the two survivors, on the grounds that it appeared that part of the vessel remained afloat because it still held cocaine, according to one of the sources. The survivors could hypothetically have floated to safety, been rescued, and carried on with trafficking the drugs, the logic went.

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/04/politics/strike-lawmakers-briefing-radio-survivors

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Republican Senator Tom Cotton: "I saw lots of evidence of them standing on the boat that had been capsized, , trying to get it back up ... to continue their mission"

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220848481
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/05/us/video/berman-tom-cotton-drug-boat-cnc

Bare faced lying.

[vapor2]

1. Tom Cotton needs to get his facts straight

THERE WAS NO FUCKING RADIO

[mikelewis]

20. He also said there were more strikes than we saw... meaning more targets?

In that interview Tom Cotton said, “The first strike, the second strike, and the third and the fourth strike on Sept. 2 were entirely lawful and needful and they were exactly what we would expect our military commanders to do,” he said.

That may indicate a possible second boat.

[karynnj]

2. If a boat is split in half, does it matter if you turn it back up?

As someone who was pathetic on both kayaks and canoes, this makes no sense to me.

[ProfessorGAC]

26. First Thing I Thought Of

No matter it's orientation, there's nothing on one side to keep the water out.
Besides that, it wasn't a canoe. 2 guys weren't going to right that boat!

[MLWR]

3. Tom Cotton is just another lying, republiSCUM apologist

for the racist, bigoted, inhumane nazis that have taken over that party.

[Mike Nelson]

4. What would be wrong...

... with communicating "HELP!" in any way when you're on a boat that blows up in the middle of the ocean? How do you continue a mission with a motorless piece of a boat and sunken cargo, Tom Cotton?

[hadEnuf]

5. Continue their mission on half a boat? Maybe they could have paddled around from island to island selling drugs?

Or to passing ships, maybe?

How is this ludicrous nonsense of an explanation even being considered for 5 seconds? Unreal.

They murdered two survivors of a boat that had been blown to pieces. Period.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

6. This is not about drugs, the United States Military is hunting human beings for sport.

[ananda]

8. Well, to be fair, not just sport...

but also a desire to control the region
and plunder its resources...

... and distract from Epstein...

... and give Trump a chance to play
war president and get his rocks off
on the cruelty.

[PSPS]

9. That's about the size of it. They probably garner some sexual gratification.

Don't forget that these people all have one thing in common: they're sadists.

[CanonRay]

7. That's not logic, it is fantasy

[slightlv]

10. Cocaine floats? And floats enough to keep a boat upright?

Color me surprised! Did NOT know this... and still don't believe it. I assume, like talcum powder, the powder gets wet, adheres to the other powder around it, and sinks like a damn log. But, I didn't stay at Holiday Inn last night, so I could be wrong...

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. I'd guess it's typically sealed in watertight bags for an ocean journey

The solid is about 1.1 times the density of water, as a "rough estimate": https://www.chemicalbook.com/ChemicalProductProperty_US_CB9496321.aspx

So as a powder, even with close packing, I would expect a bundle to be slightly less dense than water, so it might float, just. But the idea of the bundles being enough to keep the boat afloat after it had been broken in half (real buoyancy needs to be well strapped to a boat) so that someone can salvage the lot and proceed with it over a thousand miles to the USA - silly.

Not that being in possession of cocaine would have justified killing them. It's extrajudicial murder, and a crime.

[yardwork]

15. The whole thing is murderously stupid.

There's no evidence that they had drugs, no evidence that they were headed to the U.S., the whole thing is a bunch of lies to justify Trump's evil murderous cosplaying. And even if they were, it's a crime to murder people. If Trump was so sure they were drug dealers why not track them across the ocean and catch them when they enter our waters? Because TrumpCo KNOWS they weren't drug dealers.

Decent people are getting out which leaves us with nothing but evil murderous craven cowards running our military and agencies.

Just sickening.

[slightlv]

18. He wants Maduro out of there, because they've already carved up the country

and it's resources for our oligarchs (and that probably includes our Russian oligarch friends, too). If trump doesn't deliver, well... it's not nice to piss off the rich, right?

[slightlv]

17. Oh, I agree its extrajudicial murder!

But if a huge bomb falls on a boat, I'll lay odd there weren't too many sealed packets of cocaine left... if there'd been any at all in there in the first place! (I'm not convinced on this whole drug thing.)

[mikelewis]

21. I'm just wondering... where precisely was this attack?

The exact location?

Do you know if they found all the cocaine? DId they even look? I mean... like how completely thorough do you think they were?

Ok, nightmare scenario, what if one of those bricks strikes American soil and a baby eats it? It will be addicted to cocaine. Terrible...

So the precise latitude and longetude was what again?

[yardwork]

25. They didn't find any cocaine. They didn't look.

This murder took place 1,000 miles from the U.S.

Nothing from this is going to wash up on our shores.

If a baby ate cocaine they would die. Why would a baby eat something that washed up on the beach anyway?

[mikelewis]

27. Right... right... terrible... so they didn't look then huh? It could still be floating around out there then...

Someone needs to go fetch that and get rid of it responsibly before the babies eat it.

So what was those grid coordinants again?

[wiggs]

11. Heavy emphasis in the news 'if they could communicate then murder is OK' memes. But it doesn't matter legally. nt

[Ray Bruns]

13. Admiral Bradley is another one that should be brought up on charges of murder.

[mikelewis]

22. He was just following orders. nt

[Ray Bruns]

28. That didn't work at Nuremberg, it's not going to work now.

[mikelewis]

30. It worked for Bush and Cheney... how many millions died from thier lies...

How many people were tortured... a clear war crime? And... we were in a state of declared war. This is a whole new kind of different. No one is going to down for this... and they shouldn't... they were just following orders. Some idiot kid from Iowa flying a drone and pressing a button isn't going to make a call that contradicts the new Commander of War... or whatever that idiot is calling himself now.

Don't forget... they are using our children. They are turning them into people who have committed a war crime whether or not they are ever held accountable. A conscience is a terrible thing. Pete Hegseth and his buddy Trump don't have one but these kids might... yes they signed up for the job but they didn't sign up to commit sanctioned murder.

[yardwork]

14. Imagine trying to get your capsized boat upright?!

Must be nefarious instead of trying to avoid dying. /sarcasm

SMH.

[maxsolomon]

16. What is "Iawma"?

International Area Waters Marine Association?

[Texin]

19. How the hell could these two fishermen radio anyone? Their boat - with the radio in it - were blown to smithereens.

[Grins]

23. My advise to Adm. Frank Bradley...

Get a lawyer!!

What a Democrat on the committee should have told him.

[Faux pas]

24. Yeah Sure Ya Betcha

The Wrong People Got The Death Penalty

[Grins]

29. My advise to Adm. Frank Bradley...

Get a lawyer!!

What a Democrat on the committee should have told him.